


Ore no Yakuza Academia

by Yidkirkin



Category: Honto Yajuu, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: (since it's Honto Yajuu and all), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Canon Universe, Dimension Travel, Eventual Relationships, Gen, Izuku meet Izuku, M/M, No Sex, Police, Yakuza, but nothing explicit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-24 15:46:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8377969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yidkirkin/pseuds/Yidkirkin
Summary: A single encounter (or lack thereof) can change the course of your entire life. In one, a Hero-to-be. In the other, a criminal? After a suitably contrived Quirk accident in gym class, Deku suddenly finds he's now playing host to a version of himself from ten years down the line... and they couldn't be more different! artkirkin.tumblr has pics. A non-porn crossover with Honto Yajuu.





	1. The Two Missing Pinkie Joints

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry for starting a new story but I am weak and there’s no changing that right now!

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything.

SPOILERS

_“The reason I smile... is to stave off the overwhelming pressure and fear I feel.” All Might said heavily, and no matter how hard it was to see it Izuku couldn’t tear his eyes away from the massive expanse of scar tissue marring his idol’s torso. “A Pro should always be ready to risk his life. Without power, can one become a Hero? No, I should think not.”_

_“Ah...”_

_“If you desire to help people, becoming a Police Officer is always an option.” All Might told him while he wobbled to his feet –Izuku nodded in response, but was dazed like he’d been woken up suddenly from a midday nap, his vision quickly blurring. “Those Villain Custody Officers are often mocked but... that too is admirable work! ...it’s not wrong to dream. However... you need to be realistic, kid.”_

_The door to the roof slammed shut, and a minute later Izuku hiccupped and sank to the floor, tears overflowing and letting out great, heaving gasps in the ensuing silence._

_He stayed there for however long it took him to calm himself back down, then slowly made his way off of the roof and down the stairwell to street level. He walked several blocks away from the building to try and see where he was, and when he’d figured out the way back home he paused so he could take his burned notebook out of his backpack._

// _You need to be realistic._ //

// _Even as a third-year, he still can’t face reality._ //

// _It’s time to start thinking seriously about your futures!_ //

_Izuku wiped at his nose and wanted to break out into tears again._

_‘Even... the best of the best said it... Don’t cry! You knew already, right?! This is reality...’ His notebook crinkled as he clutched it to his chest –he had the sudden urge to throw it away. ‘It’s because I knew... that I tried so damned hard... so hard not to see. To ignore reality. Yeah.’_

_Izuku heard an explosion and looked across the street at a milling crowd, and he almost walked over to join them and see which Hero was attracting so much buzz. He had just seen All Might, so was it Endeavour? Or maybe Kamui Woods was making an appearance; he_ was _gaining more popularity after all, and he frequented this area more so than others. He took a step, but he bumped into the guardrail and jolted._

_‘I’m so used to gawking...’ He looked down and away, and kept going._

_//_

“Deku-kun, the ball’s coming your way!”

Izuku grinned and ran backwards, raising his hands up in the air to hit the ‘training ball’ back and over to Uraraka. She passed it over to Iida who held onto it for a few seconds and then threw it gently in Izuku’s direction –and as expected, it sped up very quickly towards the clouds and then plummeted down at breakneck speed straight at Izuku.

“Don’t let it get too light this time, Uraraka-san!” Izuku called as he tossed the ball over to her again, wincing as she had to jump back to catch the turbo-charged ball before it went past.

It was the rare occasion where the Heroics Department was mingling with the other three for a joint Phys Ed class, and the entirety of their extensive sports field was covered in clumps of first year students passing a training ball between them. Each class still generally kept to their own cliques and such –the Sports Festival hadn’t done all that much to encourage them to interact after all –but there were a few exceptions to the trend. Most of the General Education kids were willing to lump with the Management kids for the sake of convenience, and some of the wilder Support kids had tinkered with their training balls and drawn a larger group around that was only getting crazier as time went by.

Izuku was glad for a few quiet weeks of class after the entire debacle that he’d been involved in over Placement Week. He, Uraraka and Iida had stuck to themselves for this exercise, keeping away from the more excitable of their yearmates as best they could and alternating smoothly between a ball that was super fast, super light or super dense depending on who had held it last. They were content to let the others have their ‘battle to the brink of manliness’ or whatever Kirishima had been yelling about, and in fact were quite glad that the two or more Quirk loaded balls weren’t anywhere near them.

“Careful of your fingers, Iida-kun!” Uraraka reminded after receiving the super dense ball from Izuku –the first time he had charged it he hadn’t known how One for All would affect it and so Iida had tried to catch a ball that had gone from being like a volleyball to being nearly as hard as a rock. Luckily his quick reflexes weren’t limited to his legs and he had avoided broken fingers, but it was better to be reminded than slip up and get injured.

“They are definitely getting... rowdy over there...” Iida pointed over at the biggest group after passing the ball to Izuku. Apparently a minor speed Quirk had fused with Kaminari’s lightning and now the two people after them had to deal with a speeding, electrocuting training ball being sent after them.

“I’m glad we’re staying over here.” Izuku said as he paused to watch –the next combo was from a Gen. Ed. Kid with spines and Hatsume’s ‘Zoom’, which might not sound like much but apparently the training ball had chosen to interpret it as a ‘never miss the target’ Quirk.

“Bakugou-san and Kirishima-kun’s training ball is also pretty rowdy.” Uraraka said, walking over to Izuku and Iida when neither passed her the ball after a minute. Their eyes followed Sero as he ran away from the hardened, perpetually exploding training ball sent flying his way by a worked up Bakugou.

“Now all we’ve got to worry about is keeping Hagakure-san and Todoroki-kun’s Quirks from combining!”

The three looked over as one to the ‘floating’ gym uniform of their invisible classmate, who was thankfully not in the same group as Todoroki, instead playing pass with Satou, Kouta and Ojiro.

“Yeah, we can deal with ours just fine, no need to mess it up.” Izuku tossed the ball in the air and caught it as Uraraka and Iida got back into position –it was so strange that One for All had turned it hard as rock but still as light as any volleyball. “Okay, Iida-kun, I’m going to pass to you this time!”

“Hey, watch out!”

Izuku didn’t turn around very quickly, thinking that the warning had been for someone else –instead he leisurely looked up only to see a training ball heading directly towards him, smoking and spitting sparks all the while. A glance to where he presumed it had come from revealed a worried looking Hatsume (never a good sign) and Yaoyorozu, who had been the one to toss it.

It tapped his forehead in his distraction and didn’t seem to harm him right away, indeed it rolled off of his nose and fell straight into his hands, and he caught it on reflex, not even thinking about what Quirks were stored in it until–

“Midoriya-kun, drop it! It’s acting weird!”

Suddenly the atmosphere of the previously carefree sports field shifted, but Izuku’s fingers stayed curled around the ball even when he tried to will them to let go. He wondered idly if it had absorbed Kaminari’s Quirk to be sending off so many sparks, and then he went as taught as a yanked string and he screamed. It felt like he was being torn in two, forced through a tube and stretched from all ends, all at the same time; the feeling faded quickly after a few seconds, but when he regained his vision he could see that it hadn’t gone unnoticed by the horrified looks on his classmates faces and the teachers running over.

“What _is_ that?!”

Izuku’s knees buckled, and when the world went black around him he didn’t even feel Uraraka catching him before he hit the ground.

Vvv

Murmurs and the soft sound of music on a radio were what Izuku heard as he swam back to consciousness after what seemed to him like days asleep. The second thing he noticed was the lack of the sadly familiar feeling of bandages anywhere on his body, and the second thing was that he was still in his Phys Ed uniform underneath the sheets.

“...hello?” He tried calling, shifting his body and not finding any injuries right away, though his voice was raspier than it had been in a while.

 The murmuring stopped and Izuku managed to pry his eyes open in time to see the curtains pull back and Recovery Girl appear from behind them, an unpowered All Might coming in on her tail. The retired Hero was as unaffected as usual, but All Might immediately set to fussing with his blankets, an incredibly worried expression on his face as he grabbed a cup of water off of the bedside table.

“Midoriya, my boy, I’m glad you’re awake.” He said quietly, helping Izuku to sit up and drink the water and then easing him back down again. “Do you feel pain anywhere at all, Midoriya? Even a headache, or perhaps numbness?”

“N-No, I feel fine actually.” Izuku glanced at Recovery Girl who was waiting patiently at the foot of the bed. “What happened? All I remember is catching that training ball and then passing out after... did I get electrocuted or something?”

All Might twitched and Recovery Girl shook her head. “It would’ve been easier if you had. You saw some of the Support Dept students tinkering with the training tools, right?”

“Yeah... me, Iida-kun and Uraraka-san were staying out of it until I caught that one.”

Recovery Girl nodded firmly. “And a good decision that was, though it didn’t do much to avoid this. They fiddled with that one you caught a little _too_ much, so it started to malfunction after absorbing four Quirks in a row.” She started to list things off on her fingers. “Kanakizawa’s ‘Stability’, Saotome’s ‘Attraction’, Rokuda’s ‘HammerSpace’, and Suoh’s ‘Else-Vision’.”

“Those are... eclectic...” Izuku mumbled, trying to recall any specifics about them since he wasn’t familiar with any  –but all he could remember was that Kanakizawa was from General, Saotome was from Heroics and could only pull things towards him that he could see, Rokuda was in Support and Suoh was in Management.

“Yes, and what came of the malfunction could also be called... eclectic, I suppose.” All Might said, hesitating slightly. “My boy, I’m afraid that this incident resulted in something that we... well... we aren’t particularly sure what to do about it.”

“...’resulted in something’?” Izuku parroted, confused. He thought about the Quirks involved again; Attraction could be associated with the phrase, but the other three were too mysterious to really say one way or the other. Had they combined in some other way that no one could have predicted and ‘resulted in something’ from that? Izuku was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost didn’t hear the soft ‘click’ from the other side of the partition, but then he saw All Might tense slightly and the curtain behind him was drawn back a few centimetres.

“Don’t move.” A voice said, the owner hidden from Izuku’s sight by virtue of All Might standing directly between them. “Where am I?”

“...U.A. High School. There was an accident involving the students’ Quirks.” All Might replied, cautious and as still as a statue. “This is Recovery Girl’s Infirmary. She and a student of the school are the only ones here, directly in front of me.”

The voice didn’t respond right away, but Izuku heard the creak of bed springs and then saw a head of hair closely coloured to his own appear from behind the curtain, just beyond All Might’s shoulder.

“Go between them and then turn around.” The man ordered, and All Might complied. Once he moved Izuku could actually see who it was that was standing there –but his brain promptly short-circuited when he did.

“What the hell?” The familiar stranger blurted, keeping the gun in his hand pointed steadily at All Might but gesturing at Izuku with his free hand. “All Might? And is _he_ the Quirk accident here or somethin’?”

“Ah, so you do know me... and, no, he’s involved, but you are the one here who was directly affected by it.” All Might said, Recovery Girl making a sound of agreement; Izuku couldn’t stop staring.

The stranger didn’t just have a similar hair colour to him; it was as if Izuku himself was standing there, aged several years. The differences were clear –this man was inches taller and broader than Izuku was, and had styled his slightly shorter hair so that only a partial fringe fell onto his forehead. He was wearing dark grey slacks, a grey suit coat and a black dress shirt, with a gold chain around his neck and shiny black shoes on his feet. But what drew Izuku’s stare more than the gun in his possession was the scar than sliced through the corner of the man’s mouth and traveled down the side of his neck.

“Your name wouldn’t happen to be Midoriya Izuku, would it?” All Might tried, the stranger not having spoken in a minute.

“...if it is?” He shot back, glaring fiercely.

“Then I may have a theory as to what happened.” All Might raised his hands peacefully, sunken eyes remaining locked with the stranger’s. “If you would stow your weapon, we can sit and figure this out without violence or tensions running high.”

The man raised an eyebrow sceptically, but then he sighed and kneeled down to his rolled up pant leg where an empty gun holster was strapped close to his ankle. He hesitated removing the gun from its position, but a minute passed and he fiddled with it, putting the safety on and then strapping it back in and rising to his full height.

“I am Midoriya Izuku.” He said, nodding in lieu of a bow. “And I suspect that _he_ is as well.”

“You would be correct.” All Might relaxed slightly. “I am, as you’ve guessed, All Might. I mentioned that an incident brought you here.”

“An ‘accident’, as you said.” The other Midoriya said, moving so he was sitting tensely on the empty hospital bed. “Explain, please.”

“The Phys Ed class where young Midoriya was previously, had been using ‘training balls’. They absorb an impression of a Quirk and are affected by it for a short time, like Invisibility making the ball either fully or partially invisible.” The other Midoriya nodded to show he understood. “There was a modified, malfunctioning ball among the rest. It absorbed four Quirks –Stability, Attraction, HammerSpace, and Else-Vision, and then it fell straight to young Midoriya.”

For the first time, the not-stranger looked at Izuku and actually focused on him, something about his gaze feeling like he was examining Izuku’s innermost thoughts. “...you’re training to be a Hero? You’re... fifteen?” He questioned, and Izuku nodded.

“...none of those Quirks were time travel. What’s ‘Else-Vision’?” Older Midoriya continued after a moment, his stare tearing off of Izuku and back to All Might.

“Astute! Else-Vision allows it’s user to see glimpses of different people’s lives. The owner has told me that it isn’t limited to this time or even this world; he has even seen one where I myself am the most horrid Villain imaginable!” All Might said it loudly, but he didn’t appear comfortable with the thought. “I suspect that the HammerSpace and Else-Vision located _this_ you through what sounded from onlookers like a portal, and the Attraction pulled you through while the Stability may have prevented you from being... adversely affected.”

All Might let that statement sit for a minute, and then Older Midoriya said, “You said that you, ‘aren’t sure what to do about it’.”

“That _was_ before you awoke, of course. You not being some mindless, blank slate has made that statement slightly moot.” All Might laid a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “Of course, anything said is all speculation. HammerSpace only pulls what already exists, Else-Vision doesn’t typically reveal more than brief glimpses into other lives. Stability is supposed to only affect the owner, and Attraction has been proven to only work on what the user can _see_.”

“So it seems that while the one-in-a-million chance of my being pulled here happened, there’s no way to know for how long I’ll stay or ‘not be affected’.” The Other Midoriya concluded –he was taking all of this a lot more calmly than Izuku would have if their situations had been reversed. “Well, I guess it’s safe to say that I’ll be missed for a while on the other side, thankfully there wasn’t anything I was particularly busy with right now or I’d be worried. Can I assume that U.A. will take responsibility for this blunder and accommodate me while I’m here?”

“I’m sure of it, and if not then I will.” All Might assured him. “Of course, there will probably be a few questions and such before deciding on the next course of action.”

“Of course.” Older Midoriya looked again straight at Izuku, a look halfway between curious and apprehensive passing over his face. “If Boku-kun could come along, I have a few questions of my own.”

“B-Boku-kun?” Izuku sputtered; face blotching red at the almost mocking smirk his elder counterpart threw his way.

“No way I’m calling my own self ‘Midoriya’ or ‘Izuku-kun’. I’ve switched to ‘ore’ since I was your age anyhow, so it’s an easy way to differentiate*.” He shrugged. “I’m assuming you’ll find it awkward to call _me_ ‘Midoriya’ or ‘Izuku-san’ too, but you can call me what you like.” The newly christened ‘Ore’ checked the clock on the wall and then fiddled with his wristwatch. “’Young Midoriya’ is even more of a pain.”

“And are you fine with coming along, my boy?” All Might asked, looking partly amused. “You may refuse if you like.”

“N-No, I’ll come, All Might.”

The Hero nodded decisively and went to answer the sharp knock that sounded at the door to the Infirmary just then –the unmistakable voice of Principal Nedzu following, asking if they had worked anything out.

Izuku nervously chanced a look at... Ore’s face, and almost burst out laughing at the expression his older self was wearing –he was staring at the Principal with his mouth slightly agape and his eyes narrowed, like he was attempting to determine if he was actually seeing a bipedal mouse with a scar talking to All Might.

Izuku wondered what sort of future/world Ore had come from, with his scars and professional dress, the gun and –Izuku snuck a glance down at Ore’s left hand just to confirm –his _two missing pinkie joints_. He couldn’t be older than thirty at the very most; had he been captured or tortured by Villains? Was he a Hero, or maybe worked with the Police?

“Midoriya-san, it is good to meet you even under these circumstances.” The Principal greeted Ore politely, extending a paw that he shook after a moment of staring. “We’ll be moving to my office for our talk. If you have any reason to, feel free to refuse to answer –this isn’t an interrogation.”

“I’ll think of it as an interview, then. I’ll be in your care.” Ore answered formally, bowing after letting Nedzu’s paw fall away. Once again his eyes went to Izuku after a second of quiet. “Why don’t we give Boku-kun a minute to change back into his regular uniform? You can tell me a bit about U.A.”

Nedzu agreed easily, for which Izuku was thankful –now that he had the time to notice, there was a sure ‘singed’ smell to his gym clothes that reminded him more of burnt flesh than he liked. He stripped and pulled his uniform back on in record time, still not getting his tie right even after so many months of wearing it; Ore snorted when he saw it a minute later.

“I’d almost forgotten how hopeless I was with ties.” He explained absently at the questioning looks –Izuku had noticed the lack of a tie despite the rest of him being clad in nearly a full suit, and he wondered again what sort of job he had that he could get away with no tie.

All Might brought up the rear as Nedzu situated himself in between Izuku and Ore, and it looked to be after school hours with how quiet and still everything was while they made their way through the halls to Nedzu’s office. The Principal made short conversation with Ore, pointing at certain classrooms or telling him little facts about the school’s structure or history as they moved along.

When they made it to his office Nedzu busied himself with tea, and Ore took one couch while Izuku and All Might sat on the one opposite. Now that they had stopped walking, Izuku couldn’t help that his gaze was drawn again to Ore’s hand and the single remaining joint of the smallest finger.

“You’re a first year?” Ore asked out of nowhere –when Izuku looked up his older self was staring straight at him, having noticed where he’d been looking.

“Ah... yes, we’re a few weeks past the Sports Festival.” Izuku told him a little awkwardly. “You know I’m fifteen, so how old are you, Ore-san?”

The Older Midoriya blinked as if surprised, then grinned and huffed out a laugh. “Well I did say you could call me as you like. I’m twenty-five, ten years older than you.”

“You seemed as if you weren’t sure whether young Midoriya attended the Heroics Department.” All Might said as Nedzu set down a tray laden with cups of steaming tea and sugar and cream. “Did you not attend?”

“...I didn’t. That would be one difference between us.” Ore confirmed –when he shifted forward to set his hands on his knees his shirt collar shifted over and Izuku caught a glimpse of part of a tattoo. “Does Boku-kun still want to be like All Might?”

“Y-Yes, of course I do!”

“Hm...” He looked to Nedzu. “What sort of things do you want to ask me?”

“We wanted to see who you were in relation to Midoriya-kun, and then we’ll decide what you’d like to do... in the meantime.” Ore’s jaw tensed slightly, but he nodded in agreement. “Well then, you said you’re twenty five, what do you do for a living?”

Ore’s mouth twitched into an amused smirk –Izuku might have said it was his older self’s default expression with how often it happened –and he looked to be trying not to laugh outright.

“Well, I’m working for a group known as the Gotouda.” He began, waiting a split second for reactions that never came. “Their heir has designated me as his saiko-komon*, but depending on how things go I might shift into being his wakagashira* if he can’t settle on someone he trusts.”

Nedzu didn’t say anything as he sipped his tea leisurely, but All Might had jumped a foot the minute that Ore had uttered ‘saiko-komon’ and then turned white at ‘wakagashira’.

“A-A Y-Y-Yakuza?!” Izuku whisper-shrieked, hoping that he had simply misunderstood the phrasing.

“Right on the head, Boku-kun, going on... five or six years now, officially at least.” Ore said easily, pulling his sleeve up a couple of inches to show the three of them the tattoo that presumably extended down to his wrist from his collarbone. “I had an encounter when I was young, before I met the Gotouda-kai heir, with you, All Might. You discouraged me from becoming a Hero due to the danger, and soon after I met my boss. After several years of friendship he asked me if I would become his saiko-komon when he took over from his father.”

“That’s...” Izuku’s head was spinning. “I-I had that meeting with All Might, too, a year and a half ago?” Ore thought for a moment and then confirmed that it was the same one. “I didn’t meet anyone new though! I tried to rescue Kacchan from a Villain, and afterwards All Might found me and told me he’d... misjudged me.”

All Might looked away, ears red in shame; Ore chuckled and shook his head.

“One little encounter, huh?” He covered his tattoo again. “Oh, but don’t worry, I don’t hate Heroes like some Yakuza. It’s just a difference in viewpoints to me.”

//

_Izuku walked purposefully away from the crowd –his head felt heavy, and the explosion that had caught his attention reminded him of Kacchan –and so within minutes he had left the chatter of the onlookers behind him. He was nearby the older housing district he passed through on the way back from school, so he ignored the sudden burst of noise and wind from the commotion he had left behind so that he could get home without regretting his decision._

_It was nearing five o’clock now, but aside from the occasional salaryman heading home from work the streets were practically deserted –it was odd enough for Izuku to note even in his distress, and he wondered idly if there was a delay at the train station or something similar. He flipped through his notebook as he walked, still legible despite the charring and water damage. There was still the urge to throw it away –get rid of the evidence of his borderline obsession –but every time he passed a waste bin his fingers unwittingly tightened and in the end he went on still clutching it to his chest._

_‘Y’know, I couldn’t do anything when that slime Villain attacked me.’ He thought, feeling exhausted now that his emotions had muted themselves somewhat. ‘Maybe it was better that All Might set me straight...? I might have over-estimated myself in the future and gotten really hurt.’_

_He stopped at the rail crossing while the bullet train sped by and took a minute to stow away his book, feeling his mood lighten slightly. ‘He was only worried for my wellbeing. Maybe a more... realistic future would be best... maybe there’s another way to...’_

_The train passed, and as the crossing gate rose up to let him pass Izuku looked across the tracks. A dozen or more feet past the crossing there was a teenager from Hama Mid who was being restrained and surrounded by two others, and as Izuku stared they moved back and dragged him into an alley, out of sight._

_‘...be like him.’_

_Izuku slipped his bag from his shoulders and rummaged around for his umbrella while striding forward, zipping up the pocket and peeking around the corner to try and see what was going on further down. At first he couldn’t tell, but then his eyes adjusted to the shadows and he saw the teen being restrained was reeling from a punch to his temple and spat blood onto the ground – and without knowing exactly what he was doing Izuku’s legs sprung into action. He ran full throttle down the alley, and brought the dense part of his umbrella down onto the nearest attacker’s head._

_That action took their attention off of their victim, and while the first boy was stumbling and shaking the spots from his eyes Izuku flung his bag at the other two and swung his umbrella again. It struck the already injured one in the forehead and sent him to the ground, and Izuku had a split second to feel triumphant before the other attacker moved and sent a hard kick straight to Izuku’s stomach._

_Izuku fell to the ground and tried to block his face so that the other teen’s boot couldn’t strike him in the eyes or nose and potentially give him brain damage. There was a pause when someone squawked in pain, and then Izuku’s hair was seized and he was wrenched up to his feet to receive a punch to the face that sent him into the wall of the alley. He braced himself for more, but when he looked he only saw the one he had tried to save standing before him, all three of his attackers lying on the ground and groaning._

_“Fuck, I got blood on my shirt.” The teen mumbled angrily, kicking the nearest boy in the gut and wiping more off of his chin with the sleeve of said shirt. His eyes were sharp as they surveyed the situation in the alley, and after a few moments his gaze settled on Izuku._

_“Ah... are you o-okay?” Izuku asked, wincing at the pain that shot through his nose when he spoke, feeling dizzy and unsteady on his feet._

_“Am I –what the fuck?” The teen blurted, glaring at Izuku. He was sort of plain looking besides his eyes that were a bright, golden brown; he had short black hair with bangs over his forehead, an angular chin and was taller than Izuku by a few inches. His Hama Mid uniform was similar to Izuku’s except that it was black instead of dark blue, and his shirt which he was sure had been deep red only a second ago was now an ugly green-orange mottle. “You’re the one_ I _should be asking that, fool! Look at yourself!”_

_“Er, sorry...” Izuku mumbled; he gingerly wiped at his smarting nose and his sleeve came back streaked with red. “Oh, my nose...”_

_“Great, I’m indebted to a moron.” The other boy said callously –but he backed up and began gathering up his and Izuku’s bags right away. When he had slung both over his one shoulder he stooped down to grab Izuku’s arm, and he hauled Izuku fully to his feet, supporting him easily._

_“C’mon, tell me where you live and I’ll get us there.” He spat it into Izuku’s ear much too loudly and shook Izuku so hard it made him groan from the sudden nausea. “What’s your name anyway?!”_

_“Uh, turn left here.” Izuku told him first off, head spinning a bit as he was jostled. “I-I’m Midoriya Izuku.”_

_It was quiet for a long while except for the other boy’s footsteps and Izuku’s warbling directions that led them directly to the front gate of Izuku’s apartment complex. Only once Izuku’s bag and misshapen umbrella had been thrust into his hands did the other teen pause –and ultimately bowed shortly to Izuku, glaring fiercely all the while his shirt turned a bright magenta._

_“I’m Gotouda Aki.” He said, his shoulders hunched. “Thanks.”_

_//_

*‘boku’ and ‘ore’ are both common ways to say ‘I’ and the like – ‘Boku no’ Hero Academia becomes ‘My’ Hero Academia. Izuku switched to ore when he felt he grew out of boku.  
*saiko-komon is basically a Yakuza advisor, but also refers to the one in charge of the lawyers and accountants.  
*wakagashira in this sense would be the ‘first lieutenant’, a ‘regional boss’ directly under the oyabun ‘big/main boss’. A wakagashira makes sure the oyabun’s orders are carried out.


	2. I'll Tell Her Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha lol what commitment to other stories?

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything.

SPOILERS

 “You don’t hate Heroes?”

“...well, if I must say, then I only hate one or two. I don’t dislike cops either, though our Oyabun does with a burning passion.” Ore poured himself some more tea. “Is my occupation going to be a problem, Nedzu-san, All Might?”

The Principal and Hero shared a long look. “Well... Yakuza aren’t classified as Villains... and a Hero’s job is to combat Villains.” Nedzu said, easygoing smile and all. “With the situation at hand, ignoring your criminal status goes without much thought, Midoriya-san. So long as no crimes are committed while you are here, it can be overlooked.” All Might stayed quiet and Izuku wondered if his mentor was thinking about the gun strapped to Ore’s ankle.

“Thank you.” Again Izuku’s elder self bowed; obviously the formality was near second nature after so many years spent in an environment like the one he had. “If possible, then, I would ask that I be allowed to stay with Boku-kun and Okaa-san. Call it nostalgia, if you want. Of course, I can come by the school each day to check in with you if you’d like.”

“If Midoriya-kun’s mother is agreeable, then I don’t see why not.” Nedzu said reasonably. “Midoriya-kun, how do you feel about all of this?”

“M-Me?!” Izuku squeaked, and Nedzu nodded. “Uh –well, I guess I think this is happening really fast, but I –it’s understandable? I mean, if I was sent back like O-Ore-san, I would want some familiarity, too?” He scratched at his ear nervously. “I don’t mind, that is. It’s up to Kaa-san, really.”

“Well said, my boy.” All Might pat Izuku on the back, something that Ore watched with interest. “Er, Midoriya-kun, why don’t I take a car with the both of you back to young Midoriya’s home? We can discuss the near future, and if Midoriya-san declines your request then I will be there to find you another place to stay.”

“I suppose that’s the best way to go about things.” Ore conceded, cracking his neck. “Nedzu-san, I’ll return, so if you need anything from me please make note.”

“The same to you.”

Izuku stood up and fell into step with his mentor and older self, feeling self-conscious and out of place... but not so much as he had been earlier. It was rather easy to push Ore’s job out of his mind when he remembered that the turning point between them had already passed. Of course, the possibility that he might have been associated with Yakuza had never entered his mind before now –and he mused on what his older self might have gone through in those ten years that he would never experience now.

“So, Boku-kun, how exactly did you enter into the Heroics course when Quirkless aren’t allowed to take the exam?” Ore asked once they had gotten into the black U.A. car and were driving along.

Izuku tensed, rather suddenly realizing that if Ore had never saved Kacchan, then that meant that he had never found out the truth about One for All. He looked over at All Might who appeared to be thinking the same thing –Ore waited patiently while the two of them silently worked things out.

“Before that is answered, what exactly is my status in your time, Midoriya-kun?” All Might asked slowly.

“Well, when I was sixteen or so you got into a big fight with some Villain and this sickly form of yours was revealed on broadcast.” Ore dropped that bombshell like it was nothing. “In the nine years since, you’ve done even less Hero work with your condition known, but every class you taught at U.A. turned out better than average so they’ve been picking up any slack. I’d say it’s not so different from how things used to be except for the higher quality of the U.A. Hero turnout.”

“That is... something we might have to talk about later on. As it is, meeting young Midoriya likely will have made that change somewhat for this timeline.” Ore raised an expectant eyebrow. “You must not tell this to anyone, no matter how much you trust them, Midoriya-kun.”

“I won’t. I’ll swear on this if you’d like me to.” Ore indicated his shortened finger and All Might flinched a bit.

“That won’t be necessary.”

//

_Izuku’s mother nearly fainted from shock when he walked inside, face covered in streaked blood and bruises already forming on his arms underneath his dirtied uniform sleeves. When she had recovere enough to string two words together she’d begun fussing and fretting in earnest, steering Izuku to the bathroom so she could look him over and assess whether he needed to go to the hospital. She couldn’t find any evidence of a concussion and Izuku was glad for it; he was tired and wobbly and only wanted to go to sleep for a little while after this emotionally draining afternoon._

_His mother insisted he stay home from school for a few days to recover properly, making all his favourites when she caught onto the fact that his low mood wasn’t actually due to how beat up he was. She had only asked once about who had done it –and her phrasing made Izuku sure that she thought it had been Kacchan –but his assurances that it was unrelated to his childhood friend and refusal to go to the police over it had convinced her to let it be. Izuku was grateful that she cared so much over him, but they didn’t need a police investigation in their lives right now –not even just because of the low rate of success in cases like this._

_Izuku went to school the third day after he had met All Might, and to his surprise he wasn’t the only one who was looking worse for wear in his class. Kacchan was unusually quiet and withdrawn for the entire day, snapping at anyone who even dared to try and speak with him; it wasn’t until he stormed out at lunch that Izuku heard the gossip about All Might saving him from that same slime Villain._

_He shuddered at the memory of thick sludge trying to force itself down his throat, and for once actually felt terrible for his long time tormentor. Something like that shouldn’t happen to anyone, especially not for the borderline life-threatening length of time he gathered that Kacchan had gone through._

_Izuku kept to himself as usual, babying his injuries and glad that he didn’t have Phys Ed for another few days, and turning over in his mind what All Might had said about thinking more realistically. He had always aspired to be a Hero like All Might, but in_ reality _Izuku had rarely thought about when or even how he would get there without a Quirk. Thinking on it now, he had no clue what he could do with his life if he wasn’t going to daydream about Hero work any longer._

_What could he even do that would lead into a career? His grades were good, but beyond studying did he have any skills or talents that were worth anything to an employer?_

_‘I could try to be a Hero Analyst...’ He mused as he pulled on his outdoor shoes at the end of the day, remembering the talk shows he sometimes watched if he had a free day during the week. ‘Office work would be... safe...’_

_He meandered out of school grounds and towards his less taken route away from the downtown core, not wanting to run into a Hero battle accidentally and revert back to his gawking ways just yet. ‘Maybe being a Policeman wouldn’t be so bad, All Might suggested it after all...’ He sighed when he got to his home quicker than usual, and he toed off his shoes as he greeted his mother who was folding laundry on the couch. ‘I wouldn’t even have to worry about being Quirkless with the police.’_

_“Izuku, how was school?” His mother asked worriedly. “Did you have any trouble moving around?”_

_“No, I was fine.” Izuku put the kettle on and sighed again –if it was possible, he didn’t want to talk with his mother about his dreams being crushed, so he hoped that she only asked after his injuries for now. There was a loud banging at the door just then, and he turned the stove off before he went to answer it, not wanting his mother to have to get up._

_“Ye-eh...”_

_“Izuku, who is it?”_

_Izuku froze and stared at the familiar figure of Gotouda Aki standing before him, dressed in an ostentatious yellow Hawaiian print shirt, sunglasses and his uniform pants. He was accompanied by an adult probably in his twenties, who was bald, had clearly forgotten to shave that morning, and was dressed in a brown bosozoku jumpsuit, sandals and sunglasses._

_“Great, you’re here!” Aki said loudly, pushing past Izuku and waltzing in like he owned the place –both he and his companion did pause to toe their shoes off though. Izuku watched, transfixed as Aki went to the dining room table and spun around to look at Izuku with his arms crossed over his chest; Izuku’s mother yelped in surprise when she finally noticed the two intruders in their home._

_“What on Earth?” She demanded; standing up but not moving to confront them probably due to the fact that Aki’s companion was almost certainly Yakuza._

_“This him, Bocchan*?” The man asked sceptically, and Aki punched him in the arm with a scowl. Izuku closed the door a little numbly and worked up the nerve to stand closer if only because he sort of knew Aki and didn’t think that someone he had helped out would come to hurt him so soon afterwards._

_“Of course, you think I don’t remember?!” Aki groused, and then he went back to grinning confidently as he turned to stare at Izuku, pointing dramatically with a bandaged hand. “Anyways, you!”_

_“Me?!”_

_“Yeah, you, moron!” Aki barked out a laugh. “I didn’t properly introduce myself last time ‘cause those bastards had me all riled me up!” Izuku’s mother came up beside him and grabbed his arm, obviously nervous but not shrinking back even when Aki walked forward with a hand outstretched._

_“I’m Gotouda Aki, son of the head of the Gotouda-kai*!” Izuku felt his soul depart his body as he weakly shook the other teen’s hand, his mother beside him wobbling like she was about to faint. “I wanted to thank you for the help the other day! You even got hurt ‘cause of me! If you or Oba-san here ever need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call!”_

_“Oh, uh... thank you very much, Gotouda-san...” Izuku said absently, numbly accepting a piece of paper with a phone number scrawled on it from Aki’s companion._

_“Well, I felt bad for being so rude, ya know? Even if my mood was shitty I shouldn’t’a acted like that when you got me out of that jam!” Aki grinned as bright as his god-awful shirt, and then he and his... bodyguard (?) started to pull their shoes back on. “Don’t be a stranger. I’ll see ya around, Midoriya!”_

_Izuku and his mother remained rooted to the spot as Aki exited with a wave and the older man bowed before closing the door behind them. A few minutes passed like that, as if making sure the pair had actually left, and then Izuku’s mother sank to the ground, drained of all colour._

_“Izuku, how do you know that boy???” She asked almost hysterically, back to anxiousness once the source of her fright had left._

_“I-I just –the other day I saw him get-get jumped!” Izuku sputtered, only just realizing that he’d had an actual Yakuza heir barge into his house, shake his hand and leave him with a suspicious phone number. “I couldn’t just-just_ let _him get beat up on!”_

 _“No, no, of_ course not _, but the_ Gotouda _?!” His mother agonized, and Izuku covered his reddening face._

 _“I didn’t_ know _!!!!”_

_//_

“I have a rather special Quirk.” All Might said quietly. “It is one that stockpiles power, and can then be passed down to another person. I am the eighth such user of ‘One for All’.”

“... _Oh_.”

“I see you’ve deduced it.” All Might ruffled Izuku’s hair and Ore’s eyes softened a little. “I bestowed this power to young Midoriya, and he is now my successor. You remain Quirkless, then?”

“Yeah... I never met you again like Boku-kun did, after all.” Ore said a little shortly, spacing out. “But then, there are a lot of Quirkless in the Gotouda, so I’ve long since gotten over any self-hating issues about that. It helped that Katsuki and I went to different high schools.”

“Which school did you end up going to?” Izuku’s curiosity just kept coming with how interesting it was to compare his and Ore’s life. The older man was about to answer when the car rolled to a quick stop and the driver announced that they had arrived at Izuku’s apartment complex and the question was forgotten in the ensuing shifting around for the door.

“I’ll stay in the car.” All Might gave Izuku one last pat on the back while Ore opened the door, poking his head out after Izuku to speak with the both of them at once. “Come back to let me know how everything works out, and we’ll go from there.”

“Got it. Lead the way, Boku-kun.” Ore pushed Izuku towards the building when he didn’t immediately move. “Okaa-san even home right now?”

“She didn’t say she had anywhere to be...” Izuku muttered, digging in his bag for his keys and acutely aware of his older self leaning over his shoulder to watch. “She told me she had everything she needed for dinner, at least.”

“A homemade meal from Okaa-san, haven’t had that for a while.” Ore mused, taking the stairs at a faster pace due to his longer legs.

“...it’s a bit weird hearing someone else call her that, it’s kind of surreal.”

“Every single thing about this entire experience is surreal to me.” Ore said bluntly, tapping Izuku on the top of his head with his fist and making him fumble his keys. “I’ll stay just inside the door –you should go and tell her what’s happening before she sees me.”

Izuku agreed, so Ore took his shoes off and surveyed the front room of his childhood home. In his future it was still similar to how it was now, and in truth it hadn’t changed much at all even from when he had been very young. The walls were painted over once or twice, they’d purchased a new dining table at some point, and pictures were shifted around on the walls as the years passed. The same couch still sat in the living room, the same yellow lamp shade on the hallway light, and the same rug underneath his feet –nostalgia flooded through him. More than anything else though, his mother (albeit a version of her he had never met) was here and happy, only feet away, and if nothing else Ore was fine with being thrust into this world if he could see that.

“-won’t promise I’m not going to freak out, Izuku, you’re _already_ trying to calm me down.” Ore heard her say, slightly closer than the murmurs from Izuku explaining things to her in the kitchen. “I’ll just have to see him before anything else! I’m not going to faint!”

Ore’s younger self groaned in exasperation, and the second before he and Inko rounded the corner Ore straightened up out of his slouch and tried to tamp down on the sudden anxiety coursing through him. Izuku stepped far to the side and then Inko came into view, froze when she caught sight of him, and gaped in complete surprise.

“Kaa-san, meet, uh... Ore-san.” Izuku awkwardly introduced. “I already told her what happened and why you’re here.”

Ore nodded absently, standing taller as she appraised him.

“I said I had to see you, but...” Inko trailed off. “Come here.”

Ore came forward obediently, stooping when Inko reached up to take his face and turn it this way and that. She paused for a long minute to study the scar on his face and then placed her hands on his shoulders to push him back up to his full height.

“Look how much taller you are!” She exclaimed, eyes tearing up a little. “You still don’t like wearing ties? Oh, and you’re wearing my father’s necklace...”

Ore’s cheeks reddened but it didn’t appear as if he was even the slightest bit uncomfortable with her fussing. “Ah... you gave it to me a few months ago, with Otou-san’s watch.” He clenched his fist to hide his mangled finger and showed her the gold timepiece on his wrist.

Inko smiled and let her arms fall away from him. “Well, if you need it, then of course you can stay here. You’re fine with not having a guest room?”

“I wanted to stay. I haven’t... I’ve been busy with work and haven’t been able to see you in some time.” Ore admitted haltingly. “I don’t need much space anyway, with how little I brought with me.”

“As long as you’re sure.” Inko looked around and suddenly seemed to realize the time. “Izuku, can you go and mind the stove? I’ll take Izuku-san to see if any of your father’s old things fit him.”

“I need to go and let the school know that Ore-san will be staying first, but I’ll only be a minute.” Inko nodded, and when Ore followed her further into the house Izuku noted that he hadn’t taken his eyes off of her for even a second, like he didn’t believe she was real.

While Inko rummaged around in her closet and pulled out dusty boxes and bags, Ore stood awkwardly in the doorway, feeling as if he was dreaming up this entire situation for how little he had ever expected it to happen. He watched his counterpart’s mother look through a particularly plain box and marvelled at how much younger she looked, like the mother from his distant memories or his high school era photos had been brought back exactly as he had known her. She beckoned him in so he could go through everything, smiling a little sadly as she surveyed all of the things laid out that she had kept from a man who’d been gone for years.

“They’re a little old-fashioned, but I’m glad I kept them now.” She laughed gently and put her hands on her hips. “I think most of it should fit you in the shoulders... are you still an eight for shoes?”

“No, I’m a nine and a half now.”

“Hm, Hisashi was a size ten, but you should try them on anyway-” Inko stalled for a minute when she looked up at Ore right then, a startled expression flitting over her face. “Oh, I’m –I’m sorry, this is just so strange when I really think about it. I’ve always thought you’d look like Hisashi, yet –here you are! And you take after me!”

“I’ve got his freckles.” Ore pointed out. “But you’re right, I-I do resemble y-you more...”

“Izuku, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Inko stepped in front of Ore to look at his face. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to go home soon.” Ore shook his head and wiped at his eyes, but the tears only came out faster and so he soon gave up the attempt.

“It’s not that. I just... sorry.” Ore reached out and pulled Inko closer so that he could wrap his arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. “Sorry, sorry, I know you aren’t the same person, but I needed to...”

“Izuku, it’s _fine_.” Inko soothed, squeezing back to comfort him and ignoring the wet patch slowly staining her shoulder. “No matter when you’re from, you’re still my baby. Obviously you’ve gone through a lot that I’ll never know about, but I’m here now if you need anything.”

“Th-Thank you. Okaa-san, thank you...”

_//_

_“’Sup, Midoriya!”_

_Izuku smiled a little awkwardly as Gotouda Aki approached him from the other side of the street; his middle school uniform torn up, his shirt a blinding shade of yellow with pale orange tiger stripes and a shiner underneath one eye. Several weeks had passed since that day Aki had barged into Izuku’s home unannounced, and after playing host to the Yakuza heir a couple of times since, Izuku had halfway come to accept that he was probably going to see the other middle schooler every so often._

_“Hi, Gotouda-san.” Izuku greeted, falling into step with him once he’d crossed the road. “Don’t tell me you got into another fight?”_

_“And I won, too!” Aki declared proudly, puffing up his chest and clenching a fist. “It was a second year from Takiya High!”_

_“Gotouda-san, you’re just too strong...” Izuku told him, watching in interest as Aki’s Quirk turned his shirt from the yellow-orange eyesore to a deep pink – a colour he hadn’t seen yet. “What’s that one?”_

_“Eh?” Aki looked down at his shirt and blushed violently, turning the pink to a bright magenta –embarrassment. “Er-um, p-pleasure –but, but like the happiness sort of pleasure! ‘Cause you said I was strong and I’m already feelin’ great from winnin’!”_

_“No need to be like that, I get it...” Izuku appeased, and brazenly tried teasing the other boy a little, grinning at his blustering. “You’ll need to work on that if you ever want to wear normal clothes, though.”_

_“Hah? Shaddup, Midoriya, I wear what I want!” Aki hissed –like an offended cat. “And like I’d listen to you, ya damn Hero-kichi! I bet you got All Might shirts and Best Jeanist brand pants and shit!”_

_“Eh---you got me.” Izuku admitted, not able to refute the truth. They walked in silence for a minute, taking a path through a park that let out close to Izuku’s home. He glanced over at Aki, whose shirt had gone to a pale orange that Izuku thought might mean either ‘idle’ or ‘content’, and in a moment of thoughtlessness he said, “Hey, Gotouda-san, you don’t have to keep making yourself come around.”_

_Aki stopped in the middle of the path, and his shirt immediately went to the ugly orange-green mottle of confusion. “What?”_

_“W-Well...” Izuku trailed off, suddenly losing his nerve but unable to drop it now that he’d brought it up. “You... I get that you feel... ‘indebted’ to me. But really all I did was –was get myself messed up and_ you _had to end up helping_ me _. And then there’s the fact that I’m Q-Quirkless...”_

_“What does that have to do with anything?!”_

_Izuku flinched and turned beet red, not knowing why he was doing this to himself. “I mean... I mean, I’m just some_ Quirkless _! I can’t even fathom a reason why you’d want to hang around me! I didn’t really help you, and I won’t ever have a Quirk that’s worth something, and it doesn’t make any sense-!”_

 _“Shaddup!” Aki shouted, punching Izuku hard in the stomach –he sunk to the ground within seconds, the wind knocked out of him. “The fuck does who helped who matter? The fuck does your no-Quirk-ness matter?_ I _say you helped me out,_ I _wanna hang with you! That’s it and that’s all and that’s what matters here! Am I gonna have to start calling you Bakadoriya?!”_

_“N-No, please don’t.”_

_“Then don’t worry about it!” Aki ordered with finality. “And besides, there’re lotsa guys in the Gotouda who’re Quirkless, so you think I care? Like Takohage and my old man!”_

_“Ta-Takihaze-san?!” Izuku demanded, his perception of the Yakuza bodyguard as being irrefutably scary and his perception of his useless self being the default Quirkless example warring in his mind. “A-And your father, too... so, your mother has a Quirk, then?”_

_“Yeah, ‘camouflage’, like what I got but a helluva lot more useful. My old man watered it down.” Aki didn’t seem too put out over it. “What do your parents do?”_

_“Otou-san breathed fire, and Kaa-san can levitate small objects to herself.”_

_“Huh, so you’d’ve been like, minor Pyro-Telekinesis, then. Sounds pretty useless.” Aki said dismissively, but Izuku thought he might have been trying to cheer him up. “I always thought Quirks combining in kids is more interesting than straight up inheriting –you can get some really weird ones...” Aki trailed off when they came up to Izuku’s apartment complex, but didn’t immediately leave. “Hey, Midoriya, are we friends?”_

_“Are we –do you want to be?” Izuku asked, astonished for some reason, and Aki nodded energetically._

_“Yeah! ‘Course I do!” He gave Izuku a hearty slap on the back that sent him stumbling. “Okay, I’ll see you later, then! I gotta get home ‘fore Takohage comes callin’!”_

_“Alright... bye, Gotouda-kun!” Izuku wasn’t sure if the other boy had heard him at first, but as he walked away his shirt turned neon orange –surprise –with deep pink spots all over it._

_//_

Ore did eventually compose himself again, and while he was left to go through Hisashi’s old clothes Inko went out to check on how Izuku was faring with dinner. Most of the clothing fit him well enough with one or two exceptions, the most out-of-date of which being a monstrously collared lilac and maroon paisley dress shirt that he wouldn’t even give to _Aki_ to wear.

As Izuku set dinner out, Inko refreshed Ore’s memory on where things in the apartment were located and he helped her to clear out a shelf in the hallway closet for him to use while he was staying with them. Izuku didn’t bother them until he was sure he was ready –having overheard a bit of Ore’s breakdown –thinking that maybe he should ask Ore later on about the _actual_ circumstances surrounding why he hadn’t seen his mother for awhile.

“It’s kind of like you’re a little brother.” Ore said halfway through the meal –he and Izuku were seated across from one another while Inko had taken one of the free sides. “I’m less like an alternate version of you and more like a long absent sibling.”

Izuku thought about that, but it was Inko who carried on with the conversation. “Ten years can change a lot, why, when you were five we were still dealing with your Quirkless diagnosis, and look at you now!”

“Another difference, as I’m still Quirkless.” Ore said for Inko’s benefit.

“So, you’re not a Hero?” Inko asked tentatively, unsure whether or not it was a sore spot.

“Mm, I work for a small family business as a financial advisor, and sometimes advise a law firm that deals with cases of Heroes who break the law.” Ore lied easily –Izuku frowned but didn’t challenge what his older self had told her.

“My, that sounds nerve-wracking! How did you come into that?”

“Since I never manifested a Quirk, I went to a normal high school and made a friend there who was the heir to that family business.” Izuku sipped his tea –partially surprised at how good of a liar this him was and partially envious of the skill. “I took some accounting and law in college, and while there I had to testify against a Hero after I witnessed a crime. That Hero ended up with jail time and since then I’ve advised that law firm several times.”

“And you’re happy? You aren’t having any trouble, you’re eating properly?”

Ore paused, and then smiled so widely that Izuku felt like he’d seen something private –something that he himself would never experience exactly the same way since his life was on a completely different track.”

“Well, there’s some things I’da change if I could. But for the most part I’m exactly where I wanna be. Don’t worry about that, Okaa-san.”

A few hours later Inko retired for the night, making a joke that she was getting too old to stay up so late and not feel it the next morning. Izuku helped Ore to set up his makeshift bed on the couch, and while they were tucking in the edges of the sheet he ventured forth a question about why Ore hadn’t told Inko the truth.

“She doesn’t need anything more to worry about.” Ore tried to leave it at that, but Izuku pushed him enough that he went on, irritation bleeding into his tone. “Look. If she knew, what’s the first thing she’s going to jump to? That _she_ did something to push me into that life, and no matter how much she’s told otherwise she’ll never get that out of her mind.”

“But, she should get to-”

“I said, _no_!” Ore snapped, but then he abruptly calmed and forced out a breath, covering his eyes. “I would rather lie to her for the rest of my life than have my choices _mar_ every single interaction between us.”

“...did... did _your_ Kaa-san not want you... around, after you told her, or something?” Izuku hesitantly guessed, not even wanting to imagine what that might be like. Ore glared at the couch for a split second, but again he smoothed his expression out, so quick that Izuku almost didn’t notice.

“Or something.” He evaded. “I’m tired, Boku-kun. Wake me up and I’ll come in with you tomorrow to check in with Nedzu-san.”

“Okay... goodnight.” Izuku stood up to leave, but Ore left him with one last thing.

“If you tell her, Boku-kun, don’t think I won’t use that info about All Might’s Quirk against you.”

_//_

*Bocchan is a way to say ‘young master’ as in for the heir to a household or whatnot; in the future they switch to ‘Waka’ for Aki, a different way to say the same thing  
*-kai on the end of the Gotouda name means ‘group’ and usually designates Yakuza similarly to ‘-g/kumi’


End file.
